The Olympic Spirit

Feb 24

This past weekend, the 2026 Winter Olympics came to a close. For two weeks, people across the globe enjoyed, cheered, and celebrated the competition and community that seems to shine every four years. The “Olympic spirit” is not just an ancient myth or a modern marketing line. The spirit of the Olympic Games is a real sense of belonging that unites athletes, teams, nations, and the whole world.

The Church views the Olympics as an opportunity to promote human dignity, virtue, and international fraternity. Pope Leo XIV, in his message for the Winter Games, prayed that the Olympics would promote peace and unity around the world. This past summer, at the celebration of the “Jubilee for Sports,” the Holy Father used the language of sports to encourage us in our call to holiness. “Just as no one is born a champion, also no one is born a saint. It is daily training and love that brings us closer to final victory (June 15, 2025).”

The Pope’s view of sports aligns with the principles and practice of Salesian Spirituality. St. Francis de Sales also asked us to see our daily tasks as training for everyday life. Practicing gentleness, humility, patience, and other "little virtues" contributes to the way we build our character and live our Christian life. The communal and competitive aspects of the Olympics celebrate our connections as the “Body of Christ” and support us in living the devout life.

In the Christian life, our spirituality inspires and motivates us each day. As Pope Leo reminded us last summer, spiritual growth requires hope, humility, and daily training. Similar to training for athletic competition, we must be motivated and inspired to live out our faith. Just as the games leave a lasting legacy on a team and a nation, so our faith leaves a lasting imprint on our hearts and our communities.

In two years, the Summer Olympics will bring back the competition and the spirit of dedication and teamwork. In 2030, the Winter Olympics return, and they will be held in the French Alps. Some of the games will be played in the backyard of Francis de Sales, in the Haute-Savoie region of France. Perhaps the Salesian spirt will influence the Olympic spirit and help the world to see God’s presence and action in every person and every experience.

The original motto of the modern Olympics was suggested by a French Dominican priest, Fr. Henri Dodo: “Citius, Altius, Fortius” which is Latin for “Faster, Higher, Stronger.” In 2021, the word “Communiter (Together)” was added to the logo to emphasize the importance of solidarity among peoples.

As believers, let’s keep working together to grow faster, higher, and stronger. Let’s strive to run the race, to win the prize, to achieve the crown of victory in Christ Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 9: 24).